ABSTRACT
Since the collapse of the Soviet order, the countries of Central Asia have emerged as a distinct sub-group of post-communist states. The state-building policies of the political elites of Central Asia have aimed to fashion strong unitary systems. The contribution explores the development of state forms in the region and examines in detail the case of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan. The diversity of political relationships that has emerged within these centralized states points to a complex interaction of post-colonial legacies, informal institutions and evolving identities as being the principal agents shaping territorial politics in the region.
